Ch 47: Reborn to Raise My Husband

After the New Year’s Festival, the second lunar month arrived in the blink of an eye.

For families with sons preparing for the tongsheng exam that year, the New Year period was particularly quiet—they avoided banquets and social visits to keep the household calm, allowing the young men their final month of focused study.

Qi Beinan, after several years of effort, was finally able to take the exam at the age of fifteen or sixteen.

This year’s county examination was set for the twenty-first of the second month. Qi Beinan had to enter the city by the first day of that month.

He would stay in an inn in town so he could reach the exam hall early the next morning.

Qi Beinan personally felt it would be fine to leave early on the second day instead—as long as he called for a cart in advance, the exam’s first session wasn’t until the afternoon. He’d have enough time.

But his family cared deeply about the exam. Even though spring had begun, the weather remained bitterly cold.

The official roads were muddy and difficult, and they were worried not just about delays, but that the chill would affect his condition in the exam hall.

So, he followed their wishes.

Early in the morning, Xiao Yuanbao bustled back and forth helping to pack.

Qi Beinan placed his brush and ink into his book chest. When he turned around, he saw a massive bundle already tied up on the table.

“I’m going to the county to take the exam, not traveling to the capital for the imperial exams. Why is there so much stuff?”

Xiao Yuanbao wiped the sweat from his forehead, and seeing that Qi Beinan thought it was too much, he began explaining, “You’re staying in town for three nights—four days in total. Even though it’s still cold in early February, you can’t go that long without changing clothes. A scholar has to stay clean.”

“Then there’s your toothbrush, tooth powder, towels—those toiletries are all must-haves. You use them every morning and night at home; it’s not like you stop using them just because you’re taking an exam.”

Qi Beinan nodded. “That’s reasonable. But the face towels and such—inns usually have them. We don’t need to bring extra.”

“The inn may have them, but how many people do you think have already used those? And who knows if the attendants cleaned them properly before giving them to the next guest? Better to bring one of your own—won’t hurt.”

Xiao Yuanbao added, “Besides the essentials, I packed four good candles. If you study at night, you can light one. They don’t smoke, smell nice, and are bright.”

Qi Beinan pulled out a long box—sure enough, there were four red candles inside.

“Where did these come from?”

Candles were more expensive than oil lamps. Most families, including the Xiao household, used oil lamps and rarely bought candles.

“I bought them with my saved-up money. Red candles give a ‘bright and prosperous’ feeling.”

Xiao Yuanbao said, “The candle seller claimed that a previous exam taker used their red candles and passed the scholar’s exam right after.”

Every exam season, vendors in the county would push stories like that—how so-and-so ate at a certain place and made the honor roll, how someone else bought a certain item and suddenly became brilliant…

It was all a sales pitch, and plenty of people bought into it, hoping to borrow some luck. Many of them hadn’t put in real work and were simply clutching at straws.

Although Qi Beinan had always felt that way, he didn’t reject Xiao Yuanbao’s gesture and carefully closed the box.

“Candles like these burn out fast. It’s kind of expensive.”

“We’ll buy more for your next exam,” Xiao Yuanbao replied cheerfully. “I also prepared some food: six braised preserved mustard and meat pancakes, some sliced pig’s head meat, and a rabbit leg. Second Sister already arranged with the inn’s kitchen—they’ll heat them for you.”

The inn in town was one that Fang Jie’er had helped him find. She’d lived in the city a few years and had connections.

“Did you bring any of the pickled chili vegetables? I want a jar to eat with porridge or steamed buns.”

Xiao Yuanbao slapped his forehead. “Right, right! I packed it up already—if you hadn’t asked, I’d have forgotten it outside. I’ll go get it.”

Qi Beinan’s brows lifted slightly. He had just complained about packing too much, yet here he was adding even more to the pile.

He followed Xiao Yuanbao, thinking it’d be better to put the jar of pickles in the book chest so it wouldn’t break during travel.

Xiao Hu also stayed home that day. When Qi Beinan was nearly finished packing, he handed over two strings of copper coins.

“Buy yourself a couple of good brushes.”

“I’ve got brushes already—ones I’m used to. No need for new ones.”

Spring planting was about to begin, and Xiao Hu and Tian Ken would be busy—not to mention they still needed to buy seeds. Money would be tight, and Qi Beinan didn’t want to take their hard-earned coins.

“It’s not much. Just take it. I don’t know much about these exam things, so I don’t have advice to give. Just don’t skimp on food and comfort while you’re away.”

Xiao Hu forced the coins into his hand. “I’m heading to the fields.”

Qi Beinan understood his good intentions and didn’t argue further. He placed the coins in his room.

He was carrying a tael of silver and some small change—too much money on him would only be inconvenient.

That afternoon, Xiao Yuanbao walked him to the village entrance. Qi Beinan left with a large bundle and a book chest, heading toward the city by ox-cart.

Xiao Yuanbao watched until the cart disappeared from sight, rubbed his hands together, and finally trudged back home through the muddy road.

He couldn’t help but worry—what if Qi Beinan didn’t pass?

When Brother Zhao passed the tongsheng exam, the village head was overjoyed and proudly introduced him to local elders and gentry. It was such a moment of pride.

But if Qi Beinan didn’t pass, the village gossip would surely start again.

Sigh…

Xiao Yuanbao let out a quiet sigh. He was more nervous than the one actually sitting for the exam.

Meanwhile, Qi Beinan arrived at the county seat. It had just rained, and everything was damp and soggy.

He didn’t linger around the city but went straight to the inn that had been reserved in advance.

Tongsheng’s examination drew boys from villages all over the region—many had come early.

By the time Qi Beinan arrived, the inn was already bustling. In the main hall, several scholars were gathered and chatting, likely boys from the same village who had come together to look out for one another.

In years without exams, this time of year usually left the inns quiet and deserted. But now, the entire city’s commerce was invigorated by the influx of candidates.

At the front desk, Qi Beinan collected his room token. A tall attendant, upon hearing his name and recognizing his connection to Fang Jie’er, became quite warm and enthusiastically helped him carry his bundle to the room. He even brought up hot water for soaking his feet.

After soaking, Qi Beinan gave him the marinated meat dishes that Xiao Yuanbao had prepared, asking the attendant to take them to the kitchen to be reheated.

He planned to have that with a bowl of thick porridge for dinner, delivered around early evening.

He also handed the man a flatbread as a thank-you, which the attendant happily accepted.

Having finally shrugged off his travel wear, Qi Beinan prepared to lie down and rest. To speak truthfully, the child scholar exam was far from difficult for him—he didn’t need to cram during these final hours.

He had just unfastened his belt when a soft knock came from the door.

He reluctantly tied the belt back on, assuming the attendant had returned. But when he opened the door, it was a thin, short man with shifty eyes—glancing around as if up to no good.

“Greetings, young master.”

Qi Beinan frowned slightly. “Do I know you? What do you want?”

The man lowered his voice. “You must be tired, young master—alone in this room. Why not let someone soft and gentle attend to you? Relax your body and mind, and you’ll surely perform better on the exam tomorrow.”

Qi Beinan immediately understood what this man was offering and turned cold. “You know I have the exam tomorrow and you’re still here trying to peddle such filth? You’ve got some nerve.”

The man flinched and gave a servile smile. “No need to be angry, young master. If you don’t want company, I’ll go. But truly, she’s lovely and well-mannered, even knows a few characters…”

Qi Beinan glared as the man continued to push. “One more word and I’ll report you to the authorities.”

That shut the man up. He hunched his shoulders and slunk away.

Qi Beinan watched him for a moment, unsure if he’d try another room, but the man eventually disappeared. Only then did he close the door.

These underground brothels were becoming outrageously brazen—openly soliciting scholars taking government exams, without a care for the damage it could do to the country’s future.

…

The next morning, Qi Beinan packed his book chest and headed to the examination hall.

Unlike the provincial or metropolitan exams, the county-level child scholar test was more relaxed. After each session, candidates were allowed to return home or their lodgings.

As he locked his door, he saw a gaudily dressed woman leaving the room across the hall, her hair partially undone and reeking of heavy makeup and perfume.

She swayed away, followed moments later by a man in his thirties carrying a book chest.

Qi Beinan looked at him with contempt. No wonder someone that age was still stuck at the tongsheng level—spending even the night before the exam with women. How could a scholar like that ever succeed?

The county exam was administered by the local magistrate and consisted of five sessions.

One session on the afternoon of day one, then two each on the following two days—for a total of three days.

The material was relatively basic: poetry composition, recitation, and interpretation of the Confucian classics. Even policy questions had been removed in recent years and pushed to the provincial exams.

Any scholar who had memorized the Four Books and Five Classics would find this test manageable.

Seated in the exam cubicle, Qi Beinan touched the koi fish and lotus blossom sachet at his waist and smiled faintly.

Five tests? He might as well consider them handwriting practice.

After the session ended, Qi Beinan exited the examination hall and found Zhao Guangzong waiting for him.

As Qi Beinan emerged from the back section of the exam grounds, a crowd had already gathered at the entrance.

“Well? How’d it go?”

Zhao Guangzong had rushed over after finishing his own lessons. The county school was only a short distance away, and he had known Qi Beinan would be testing that day. He’d wanted to visit earlier but didn’t want to be a distraction—so he waited until the first session was over.

“I heard someone say the poetry portion was pretty obscure this time. Might trip people up.”

Qi Beinan’s brow tightened slightly, making Zhao Guangzong nervous.

Then Qi Beinan gave a serene smile. “Didn’t find it particularly difficult.”

Zhao Guangzong relaxed, his book chest bouncing on his shoulder. “I thought so! You even guessed that passage from the Classic of Filial Piety when I was testing—no way this stuff would stump you.”

“You’ve worked hard these days. Come on, let me treat you to some tea.”

Qi Beinan smiled. “Let’s just head to my inn. I can pack up while we’re at it—planning to head home later.”

The two of them sat in the inn for a while, chatting about their studies. They agreed to travel together in June to Linzhou to participate in the prefectural exam.

After the last prefectural exam, Zhao Guangzong hadn’t made the list, so he had studied diligently at the county school for two more years. He felt more confident this time around.

If Qi Beinan passed the county exam this year, he wouldn’t have to travel to the prefecture for the next level of testing. Due to recent reforms, the provincial education officials were now dispatching examiners locally, saving everyone a great deal of trouble.

As the sun dipped westward, Qi Beinan finally parted ways with Zhao Guangzong and headed home to the village.

After getting off the ox cart at the village entrance, he walked all the way to his house—but surprisingly, no one had come to meet him.

Thankfully, there was already smoke rising from the chimney. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the scent of chicken soup greeted him.

Had it not been for the smell of a good meal, the quiet of the house might’ve made him think his return had been completely forgotten.

“Brother!”

Xiao Yuanbao had just returned from outside. Seeing a familiar figure in the courtyard, his eyes lit up and he ran over joyfully.

He took Qi Beinan’s book chest from him and asked, “Why are you back so late?”

“I thought you were staying another night in town.”

Qi Beinan replied, “I told you this morning I’d be back today—how would I delay without reason? The sun’s nearly down and still no one came to meet me.”

“I was on my way, but I got distracted—some villagers were gossiping on the road, and I stopped to listen. Before I knew it, I’d missed you.”

Then Xiao Yuanbao mumbled, “Didn’t they say the final session ended in the late afternoon? Why are you only getting back at night?”

Qi Beinan chuckled lightly and explained, “Guangzong came to meet me after the exam. We chatted a bit before I came back.”

That made Xiao Yuanbao drop his pout. He hadn’t seen Qi Beinan for a few days, and it felt like the days dragged on forever.

“I boiled hot water. If you want to wash up, it’s ready. Are you hungry? The chicken should be just about done—I used the dried mushrooms we picked last year. It smells amazing.”

He dashed to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of chicken soup to cool.

“Father and Brother Tian Ken should be back soon too.”

Although Qi Beinan had bathed at the inn the night before, after a full day of exams and traveling home, he was covered in sweat again.

The second day of the second month had been drizzly and cold, but once the sun returned, it felt like summer by midday.

For those who had bundled up for the exam, it was miserable—crowded exam cells left many students sweating as if it were the dog days of summer.

Qi Beinan guessed the weather was going to keep getting warmer from now on.

“You mentioned some gossip—what was it that had you so caught up?”

Qi Beinan washed up while chatting with Xiao Yuanbao.

“Oh right! I was so happy to see you, I forgot.”

Xiao Yuanbao said, “Qiao Niangzi said that Bai family’s Liu Jie’er has been betrothed.”

Qi Beinan raised a brow. “To whom?”

“I heard it’s a well-off family in the neighboring county. They’re merchants and want for nothing.”

Qi Beinan said, “Didn’t the Bai family say they didn’t want their daughter to marry far away?”

Given their status and Bai Liu’s appearance, it wouldn’t be hard to find her a wealthy match.

“I thought the same,” Xiao Yuanbao said, “but the man’s the only son of his family. He has a good appearance and reputation too. The Bai family saw his portrait and agreed. They’re planning to host a banquet soon, which is how the news came out.”

He didn’t know about Bai Liu and Fang Youliang’s past feelings, and simply felt happy for her finding a good match.

But then he added, “Fang Ge’er said that after Brothrr Fang heard the news, he sat alone on the big rock halfway up the mountain for ages. Do you think he regrets not courting Liu Jie’er now that she’s getting married?”

Qi Beinan exhaled slowly and patted Xiao Yuanbao’s head. “Brother Fang’s a grown man. He knows what he’s doing. Now that Liu Jie’er has found a good match, best not to bring up the past.”

Xiao Yuanbao understood. If people found out Liu Jie’er had once liked Brother Fang, it could hurt her reputation.

He didn’t know Brother Fang’s true feelings, but perhaps it was just that he himself was young and didn’t understand the burdens of life—he still felt it was a bit of a shame.

“Who did the Bai family hire to cater the banquet?”

“They hired my teacher.”

Xiao Yuanbao added, “But I’m not planning to help this time.”

“Why? Did the Bai family offend you? I thought you loved helping at village banquets.”

“It’s because their wedding day falls on the same day the county exam results are posted. I want to go with you to check the list—how can I find time to help?”

He had originally thought that if Liu Jie’er and Brother Fang were the ones getting married, he’d have to consider carefully whether to attend the wedding or go see the results.

But now that Liu Jie’er was marrying into another county, the choice was easy.

County exam results came quickly, as the grading was done locally and announcements were posted soon after.

Postings had already been put up, though a single exam didn’t mean much. Even if you passed, it wasn’t something to be too proud of—you still had to pass the prefectural exam for it to really count.

On the fifteenth day of the second month, early in the morning, the bulletin board outside the county academy was packed with people.

Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao went to see the red list.

It was a sea of heads, and with the dry weather persisting for over half a month, the heat made the air feel like the smoldering aftermath of a furnace—hot enough to warm water without boiling it.

Xiao Yuanbao had grown quite a bit taller—this time when they came to see the list, he no longer had to be squashed at the bottom like the past two years when he came with Zhao Guangzong, unable to see a thing.

He dove into the crowd and squeezed his way up to the front by himself.

Not long after, his tousled head emerged from the sea of people, his big eyes filled with sparkling excitement.

He grabbed Qi Beinan’s hand tightly: “You made the list! Brother, you made the list!”

Qi Beinan had already been fairly certain, and coming to check the results was more of a formality.

But seeing Xiao Yuanbao so thrilled, he couldn’t help but let a smile tug at the corner of his lips. “Look how happy you are. This is just the county exam—it doesn’t even qualify one to enter the county school yet.”

Xiao Yuanbao quickly shook his head. He wanted to shout with joy, but thought that would be too showy. So instead, he clutched Qi Beinan’s hand tightly and said, “Your name is right at the very top! You’re first place in this county exam!”

“Brother Zhao said that if the county school still has spots, even if you don’t pass the prefectural exam, being in the top three of the county exam can still get you in!”

The bright smile on his face wouldn’t go away. “And besides, if you ranked first in the county exam, how could you not make the list in the prefectural one?”

“You make a good point.”

Qi Beinan smoothed down Xiao Yuanbao’s fluffed-up hair and led him out through the crowd. “With that kind of encouragement, your brother will definitely pass the prefectural exam too.”

“But this is just the first step. No need to get ahead of ourselves—once we’ve passed both, then we’ll celebrate properly.”

Xiao Yuanbao nodded eagerly.

There was still a month and a half until the prefectural exam—no room for slipping now.

But his brother was so amazing, he ought to be rewarded!

“Let’s go to the market and buy two fresh pig brains to stew and nourish your mind.”

Qi Beinan rubbed his chin: “I think my brain’s still working just fine, might not need the extra boost~”

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